ground is said to represent the Sky-World where Biame has his home. It is forbidden to noninitiates. The larger ground represents the earth and is public. The ceremonies performed there are less secret.
Boro circles occur all over Australia and have different names in the different languages. In regard to these circles, Bill Neidjie says, ‘This “outside” story. Anyone can listen, Kid, no matter who, but that “inside” story you can’t say. If you go in a ring-place, middle of a ring-place, you not supposed to tell im anybody ... but, oh, e’s nice.’
Borogegal See Eora tribe.
Borun the pelican See Frog.
Bralgu Bralgu is the Island of the Dead according to the Aboriginal people of Arnhem Land. It is said that after three days the newly deceased is rowed in a canoe by Nganug, an Aboriginal Charon, across the ocean to the Island of the Dead to be greeted by other departed souls.
It is said that every day, shortly before sunset, the souls at Bralgu hold a ceremony in preparation for sending the Morning Star to Arnhem Land. During the day and the greater part of the night, the Morning Star is kept in a dilly bag and guarded by a spirit woman called Malumba. The souls and spirits hold a ceremony during which much dust is kicked up. This brings the twilight and then the night to Arnhem Land. When the time approaches for the Morning Star to begin its journey, Malumba releases it from her bag. On release, the Morning Star rises up and rests on a tall pandanus palm tree, the Dreaming tree of life and death. From there, it looks over the way it is to go, then rises, hovers over the island and ascends high into the sky. Malumba holds a string to which the star is attached, so that it will not run away. When morning comes, Malumba pulls it back and puts it in her bag.
See also Thunder Man.
Bram-Bram-Bult See Centaurus; Southern Cross; Two Brothers.
Bran Nue Dae Bran Nue Dae is a musical put together by Jimmy Chi and the Kuckles Band of Broome. It details the adventures and misadventures of Willie, a young man, and his mentor, Uncle Tadpole, and gives an insight into the modern lifestyles of Aboriginal people in Western Australia. It has been enormously successful throughout Australia.
Brisbane See Dundalli; Grasshouse mountains; Platypus; Rainbow snake.
Brolga See Duwa moiety.
Bropho, Robert Robert Bropho is an important member of the Nyungar people who has led the fight to protect the sacred places in Western Australia. He lives in Lockridge on the outskirts of Perth, close to Bennett’s Brook, an important Dreaming place of the Nyungar. He has made films and written books to highlight the injustices of our people and to protect our sacred places.
Buda-buda See Mopaditis.
Bull-roarer A bull-roarer is a shaped and incised oval of wood, to one end of which is fastened a string. It is rapidly swung in the boro ground ceremonies (see Boro circles). There are many varieties of bull-roarer and the sacredness of the object varies from area to area. When it is incised with sacred designs it becomes a sacred object known as a tjuringa or inma. In some places it may be seen by everyone; in others, especially in the south east, it may only be seen by the elders or initiated men. In some areas, northern Queensland for example, a larger bull-roarer is considered male and a smaller one female. When swung, they are said to be the voices of male and female ancestors, who preside over the sacred ceremonies of initiation. The bull-roarer among the Kooris of south-eastern Australia was first made by Biame and when it is swung it is said to be his voice.
See also Duwoon; Moiya and pakapaka.
Bullum-Boukan See Trickster character.
Bullum-tut See Trickster character.
Bumerali See Universe.
Bundjalung nation The Bundjalung people are a large Aboriginal nation, a federation of a number of groups of clans which occupy the land from the Clarence river of northern New South Wales north to the town of Ipswich in southern Queensland. The names of these groups are Aragwal, Banbai, Birbai, Galiabal, Gidabal, Gumbainggeri, Jigara, Jugambal, Jugumbir, Jungai, Minjungbal, Ngacu, Ngamba, Thungutti and Widjabal. Their ancestors are the three brothers, Mamoon, Yar Birrain and Birrung, who are said to have come from the sea. The brothers, along with their grandmother, arrived in a canoe made from the bark of a hoop pine. As they followed the coastline, they found a rich land sparsely populated. They landed at the mouth of the Clarence river and stayed there for a long time, then, leaving their grandmother behind, they continued on in their canoe heading up the east coast. At one place they landed and created a spring of fresh water. They stopped along the coast at various places and populated the land. They made the laws for the Bundjalung and also the ceremonies of the boro circle.
It is said that the blue haze over the distant mountains, especially in spring, is the daughters of the three brothers revisiting the Earth to ensure its well-being and continuing fertility.
See also Bundjalung National Park; Dogs; Duwoon; Ginibi, Ruby Langford; Gold Coast; Great battles; Jalgumbun; Terrania Creek basin and cave; Tooloom Falls; Woollool Woollool.
Bundjalung National Park Bundjalung National Park in northern New South Wales includes Dirrawonga, a sacred goanna site now called Goanna Headland.
In the Dreamtime, Nyimbunji, an elder of the Bundjalung nation, asked a goanna to stop a snake tormenting a bird. The goanna chased the snake to Evan’s Head on the coast where a fight ensued. The goanna took up the chase again and went into the sea. It came out from the sea and became Goanna Headland.
The goanna is associated with rain and there is a rain cave on the headland where the elders of the Bundjalung people went in the old days to conduct ceremonies for rain.
See also Bundjalung nation; Rain-making.
Bungle Bungles The Bungle Bungles in Western Australia is a taboo area. It covers an area of 700 square kilometres with sheer cliffs, striated walls and deep gullies. The formations were considered to be inhabited by forces inimical to life and so no Aborigines ever went there.
Bunitj See Kakadu National Park; Neidjie, Bill; Seasons.
Bunjil Bunjil the Eaglehawk ancestor is a creator ancestor of immense power and prestige to the Kooris, the modern Aboriginal peoples inhabiting what is now the state of Victoria. In the old days he was a moiety deity, or ancestor, of one half of the Kulin people of central Victoria.
Bunjil had two wives and a son, Binbeal, the rainbow, whose wife was the second bow of the rainbow. He is said to be assisted by six wirnums or shamans, who represent the clans of the Eaglehawk moiety. These are Djurt-djurt the nankeen kestrel, Thara the quail hawk, Yukope the parakeet, Dantum the parrot, Tadjeri the brushtail possum and Turnong the glider possum.
After Bunjil had made the mountains and rivers, the flora and fauna, and given humankind the laws to live by, he gathered his wives and sons, then asked his moiety opposite, Bellin-Bellin the crow, who had charge of the winds, to open his bags and let out some wind. Bellin-Bellin opened a bag
